Review of All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989) by Dylan S — 29 Sep 2008

After churning out successful features such as THE SECRET OF NIMH, AN AMERICAN TAIL, and THE LAND BEFORE TIME, Don Bluth had his first major misfire with this dreary animated musical about a gambler dog who returns from the afterlife to take vengeance on his double-crossing partner.

The concept is sound, but the execution is weak--the plot jumps all over the place and throws in sequences from nowhere. With the exception of a human girl (Anne-Marie), none of the other characters emerge as truly loveable.

Charlie, in particular, is a very unsympathetic--and uncharismatic, thanks to a dull performance from Burt Reynolds--lead, and his transformation at the end feels both forced and contrived. The musical numbers are also uneven and clash against the dark tone.

The only saving grace about this movie is the luscious animation, but all in all, it's a disappointing effort from a talented animator.